Thursday, June 19, 2014

According to one source, about 80 percent of all Americans
say they want to write a book. Among that number, most will never write the
first word. From among those who do, most either never finish, or don’t know
where to turn when they do.

It’s only a tiny subset of those aspiring authors, who will
ever get around to pitching their work to an agent or publisher. Are you one of
those brave souls? If so, you’ll need to know what to say and – very
importantly – what NOT to say. Whether you’re sending a query by email, or
conversing over coffee at a writers’ conference, here are a few things that
probably won’t help your case:

Thursday, June 12, 2014

The book business is changing. If you have a pulse and
possess the skill to read this sentence, you’re probably not surprised to hear
that. But the one part that amuses me more than anything, is the vocabulary.
Words that meant one thing for a century or more, now mean something very
different. Or at least, in the mind of some.

This new nomenclature seems to be driven by self-proclaimed
experts who truly believe they have figured out the new order of the publishing
world. They have no use for an agent or a proofreader, no interest in real education, and they
see a demon behind the door of every traditional publisher who won’t give away
the store. But what true credentials do they have, such that anyone should look
to them for such important advice? Hard to say.

About Me

AAR-member agent.
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I was born in 1962 in an old Spanish colony on the coast of California. They called it "The Village of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels," in honor of Mary the mother of Jesus. Never heard of it? Oh, silly me. Like most people, you probably know it by its abbreviated name in Spanish: Los Angeles.
I grew up somewhere between the gleaming glass towers of Bunker Hill and the bright lights of Hollywood. I was a storyteller almost from birth; poems, articles, business letters, whatever. But like almost all writers, I kept a day job; in-between gigs I found gainful employment as a clerk typist, vitamin buyer, waiter, fundraiser, prep cook, gardener, lifeguard, bookkeeper, grocery checker, printer's apprentice, and meat cutter.
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In time I had a couple of books published. One thing led to another, I edited books for others and managed a writers’ conference, making many valuable contacts along the way. As an agent I made my first sale in only five months; so I think I will stick with this for a while.Swimming, gardening, and cooking keep my hands busy in-between.